Underworld: The Descendant
by Lady Avotil
Summary: Expelled from Hogwarts and betrayed by those he cares about, Harry discovers that he has one last place he can go to - Viktor's coven in Hungary...PostUnderworld! PostCoS! HarryxOC!
1. Chapter 1

_**Very Important!**_

Hi dear readers!^_^

*ducks behind desk* Before you start accusing me of not wanting to continue any of my other stories, like "Revenge through Hellfire", I have only one thing to say – I tried! This chapter was supposed to be part of chapter 2 of "Revenge through Hellfire", but as I continued writing it, it somehow turned into the beginning of another story entirely! It's not my fault! I will, however, post chapter 2 of the above-mentioned story sometime this upcoming week. That I can promise you.^_^

Now that that's over with – enjoy the story! It takes place after the events at the end of Harry's second year and after "Underworld", with the movie most definitely ending differently. I will be updating this story along with "Revenge through Hellfire". I hope you enjoy reading it!^_^

_**HPxUnderworld!*****************************************_

_**Chapter 1: The Beginning**_

Stepping out of the yellow taxi, Harry looked at the imposing manor behind the front gate. Extending his fangs, the black-haired boy turned a completely neon blue gaze at the security camera hanging high on the pillar to the left of the gate, the cloudy night almost entirely concealing the device.

"I'd like to speak with Viktor" he told the camera, waiting for the security guy to open the gate. Indeed a few seconds later the black gate swung open and Harry, luggage in hand, started walking along the gravelly path leading to the entrance of the ostentatious manor. On the way Harry remembered why he was there in the first place, his eyes flashing in anger as he did so.

_Flashback_

"No! I am telling you, it wasn't me! It was a memory of Voldemort from his old school diary!" Harry frantically tried to explain to the two people he most respected in Hogwarts – Minerva McGonnagal and Albus Dumbledore.

"I am sorry, Mr. Potter, but the evidence stands against you. Young Miss Weasley had a long cut on her throat and it was later established to be the cause of her death. You were found lying unconscious next to her with a sword, coated in blood, in your hand. It was undoubtedly her blood that was on the sword, so, logically, it is you who killed her" the stern Transfiguration teacher told the young wizard, who turned with desperate and pleading eyes towards the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, his last hope. The old wizard only slowly shook his head, his disappointment clearly conveyed by this simple gesture and his no longer twinkling blue eyes.

"I am sorry, but I have no other choice. Mr. Potter, you are hereby expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and your wand is to be snapped" Dumbledore declared before taking his own wand out and summoning Harry's into his hand. Then, in front of the black-haired boy's wide and horror-filled eyes, he snapped the holly wand in two peaces, the red phoenix feather within it disintegrating at the action.

Bowing his head in defeat, the former Gryffindor trudged out of the Headmaster's office, hopelessness and sadness radiating off him as he walked along the corridors of the castle he had come to love so much. Just as he was passing in front of the doors of the Great Hall, a group of 4 people stepped in front of him, effectively blocking his way. Looking at their faces, Harry could only find anger, fury, hate, grief and betrayal on them.

His emerald green eyes met the sky blue ones of his best friend, Ronald Weasley. The (now) youngest Weasley's left eye twitched and that was all the warning Harry had before a fist smashed into his stomach, causing him to gasp and bend over. Soon a second punch followed, this one on his back, and Harry fell to the floor, wincing. He was still sore from his fight with the basilisk and he was pretty sure that his ribs had been bruised by the reptile's tail when it had hit him and knocked him unconscious. That was the moment which turned Harry's life upside down.

"How could you! How could you kill my little sister, Potter!" Ron yelled at the figure lying curled up on the floor, making the black-haired boy flinch at the use of his last name. It was the next voice, however, which made the wound in his heart ache even more.

"We trusted you, Harry! We thought you were our friend!" his other best friend, Hermione Granger, shouted, somehow managing to kick him in the stomach despite the position of his knees in front of it.

"We accepted you with open arms and this is how you thank us!" the matriarch of the Weasley family, Molly Weasley, screamed, tears running down her cheeks. Harry looked up at his surrogate mother and his friends with equally teary eyes and was about to apologize for not being able to save Ginny when suddenly Percy handed a cage and a bag to the two second year Gryffindors. Within the cage was Harry's snow white owl, Hedwig.

"Now, Potter, you will see how it feels when something precious is taken away from you!" the prefect of the family coldly told the 12-year-old, his horn-rimmed glasses enhancing the clearly visible glint of hate in his eyes and making the 6th year seem like a rather menacing figure. Without any warning, Percy took out his wand and bound the former Gryffindor, stopping him from moving even an inch.

Harry could only helplessly watch as one by one the items from the bag were taken out and placed near the black-haired boy, but just out of his reach. The items were his Nimbus 2000, the photo album Hagrid had given him at the end of his first year at Hogwarts and his invisibility cloak. Hedwig was placed on the floor as well, the amber-eyed owl hooting quietly in worry for her master and friend. The hole within his heart grew bit by bit as one by one each of his friends took out their wands and set fire to the 4 most valuable possessions Harry had. When Hedwig was set ablaze, the black-haired boy let out a scream of agony and pain, unable to help his very first friend. The Weasleys and Hermione watched all of it with cold hatred in their eyes, all directed at the crying form of the boy-who-lived.

The next day came agonizingly slowly for the black-haired boy and the lonely train ride back to Kings Cross in London seemed to last an eternity. But it was during that ride that the Harry Potter everyone had come to know ceased to exist. The boy that boarded the train at Hogsmead station was not the same one that left the train on Kings Cross train station.

The young black-haired boy looked around the train station with cold, calculating eyes as he appeared at the other side of the barrier separating the muggle and wizard platform. His first action would have to be getting to the Leaky Cauldron and then from there into Diagon Alley and into Gringotts. He had a few questions that he hoped the goblins could answer for him. Quickly putting on a black cap with a silver, tribal design of a bat emblazoned on the front, Harry hefted the small, dark blue duffel bag he was carrying – his only luggage – over his shoulder and made his way towards the exit of the train station.

Tom, the barkeeper of the Leaky Cauldron, barely looked up from the "Daily Prophet" he was reading when a young boy wearing a black cap and carrying a small duffel bag walked into the inn and went straight towards the door leading to the entrance of Diagon Alley.

Stepping into Diagon Alley, Harry was surprised that the Wizarding shopping district was so empty. There was only half, maybe even less of the crowd that the young wizard was used to seeing. Then again, he had always come here to do his school-shopping during the week before the school year began. Without even glancing at the shops, Harry made his way straight towards the entrance of the Wizarding World's bank, Gringotts. With the black cap hiding his forehead and his duffel bag over his shoulder, Harry was pleased to note that he barely attracted any attention from the various wizards and witches on the street. A glance or two maybe, but no stares. His emerald green eyes glanced almost reflexively at the inscription on the door of the bank. Reading the poem, Harry couldn't help but smile at it.

_Enter, stranger, but take heed  
>Of what awaits the sin of greed<br>For those who take, but do not earn,  
>Must pay most dearly in their turn.<br>So if you seek beneath our floors  
>A treasure that was never yours,<br>Thief, you have been warned, beware  
>Of finding more than treasure there.<em>

He was pretty sure that the goblins had placed some kind of compulsion charm on the poem so that anyone who read it would not be able to steal from the bank. Shaking his head to lose that stray thought, the black-haired boy once again concentrated on his purpose here. He decided to ask the first goblin he saw where the office of the head goblin was located – he would surely get lost otherwise. Looking around, Harry caught sight of a familiar goblin.

"Hey, Griphook!" he called, for some unknown reason startling the goblin. Running to where the goblin had abruptly stopped, Harry sent the magical creature a smile, apparently once again shocking the goblin.

"I was wondering, if you could tell me where I could find the head goblin? I need to urgently speak with him about…some things" the black-haired boy carefully inquired, curious as to why Griphook seemed so surprised.

"Yes, I will show you where he is, Mr. Potter" Griphook replied before leading Harry to the right and into a hallway Harry had not noticed until now. Many of the goblins they passed raised a questioning eyebrow at the presence of a human in that particular hallway, but shrugged it off soon after – wizards were a strange lot.

Griphook stopped in front a big set of ornate doors, even more beautifully decorated than the ones leading into the Great Hall. A small pang in his heart caused Harry to shake his head again. A mask of cold indifference appeared on his face, his warm emerald green eyes turning into cold and calculating ones. He had to stay focused on his self-imposed mission to find out the truth. Suddenly, Harry noticed that Griphook had left him there alone. Shrugging, Harry took a deep breath and knocked on the door. After hearing a gravelly "Enter", the young wizard opened the doors, entered the room, and closed them after himself. Three hours later the double doors opened again and Harry stepped outside into the hallway. The 12-year-old leaving the head goblin's room was different than the one who entered it.

His black hair that usually resembled a bird's nest more than anything was tamer, straight strands of black hair falling softly down and reaching just below his ears, with the hair in the back reaching to the nape of his neck. His cheekbones were slightly higher and, as a result, slightly more visible, giving the young boy an aristocratic look. Whilst his eyes were still their usual emerald green colour, they had gained a strange glow around them. In addition to that, his eyesight had healed, giving him a perfect vision. The most glaring difference in his face, though, was the lack of the famous lightning bolt scar. The 12-year-old's stature had changed as well. Not only had he grown several inches, but he now had an athletic body and looked healthier in general. His complexion had gotten a little bit paler, but the difference wasn't really noticeable.

The clothes Harry now wore were different too – no longer was he wearing the oversized castoffs of his cousin, but clothes more fitting for a young noble: a beautiful, silk, dark forest green, button-up shirt, the 3 topmost buttons of which were left open and slightly showed his chest, a pair of black leather pants, a black belt with a dark silver buckle and a pair of elegant, slightly pointed, black, leather boots. The entire outfit was completed by a long, black trench coat that reached to the middle of his calves**.** Instead of a duffle bag he now had a suitcase in his right hand.

Harry's eyes blazed with barely controlled anger and hate as he walked down the hallway to the entrance hall of the bank. He was happy that he had managed to find answers to his questions, of course, but he had also found out some not so pleasant things. It seemed that Dumbledore had been hiding some things from him.

Like the fact that he was the only living descendant of a 12th-century Hungarian warlord who had been turned into a vampire in his early 50s. Harry was related to that man through his mother, who turned out not to be an Evans at all. So Dumbledore had sent Harry to live with the abusive Dursley family for nothing. The black-haired boy was certain that his life would have been very different had he been sent to live with his ancestor. Yes, he would have probably had a better life. It would have also made it impossible for Dumbledore to place the power-binding spell on him, along with an inheritance-blocking one, or to perform the transfiguration ritual to make him become a carbon copy of his father, James. It appeared that Dumbledore had planned to encourage Snape's grudge on James and, in that way, to pass it on to James' son, Harry.

Thankfully, the goblins had been just as appalled as him about this shocking discovery and had offered to remove the spells and to reverse the ritual for free. It had taken them two hours to accomplish those tasks, but the result had been well worth it. It was the removal of the inheritance-blocking spell that had the greatest effect on him, though: it awakened his dormant vampire gene. After the goblin curse-breakers had performed a specific set of spells, they had discovered that Harry would still be able to eat normal food and would still be able to go out into the sunlight without burning. In return, though, he would have to drink blood at least twice a week. As an added bonus, the goblins had decided that Harry, as the heir of a noble, should be able to dress accordingly. To the young vampire's surprise, the goblins had managed to gather the appropriate clothing in less than an hour and from the muggle world, no less!

After transferring all of his money, which was a substantial amount (he would be able to live 10 lifetimes without a worry!), to a muggle account the head goblin was kind enough to set up for Harry and after getting a promise from the goblins he had dealt with today that they wouldn't mention anything about what happened to Dumbledore, Harry left Gringotts, left Diagon Alley and left Britain. If Dumbledore thought that he would voluntarily go back to the Dursleys, then he was sorely mistaken. The goblins, as a final service for him, had tracked down the location of his vampire ancestor's coven to a manor on the outskirts of a Hungarian city. So next stop – Hungary!

_End Flashback_

At the front door he was met by two vampires clad entirely in black leather and holding black guns. The moment they met his eyes they seemed to flinch slightly, apparently shocked about something. With a small inclination of their head, they pushed open the front door, revealing a luxurious entrance hall with many vampires sitting on very comfortable couches and armchairs, talking pleasantly and drinking what surely was blood out of elegant glass goblets.

After closing the door behind him, the two vampires started walking towards a long staircase on the left, leading to the second floor of the manor. An excited murmur passed through the vampires gathered in the entrance hall as Harry looked them over before passing by them and following his two escorts upstairs. Going down a winding hallway, the two guards, Harry supposed, eventually stopped in front of an intricately carved, dark brown, wooden door and knocked on it. A commanding "Enter" came shortly after from inside and one of the guards opened the door, motioning for Harry to go on inside. The moment the black-haired boy has passed the threshold, the door was closed.

The room the guards had led Harry into was very spacious and was lavishly decorated, old and most probably invaluable paintings hanging on the dark red walls and various vases decorating the window ledges and the mantelpiece. Inside the fireplace was blazing a strong fire, the warmth coming from it spreading throughout the entire room and creating a calm and cozy atmosphere. Spread in a half-circle around the fireplace were several armchairs and a couch, a table situated in the middle. One of the two armchairs was already occupied. The man stood up when the door closed with a small "click" and turned towards the young vampire. Harry could only stare.

The man's eyes were the same neon blue colour that Harry's were currently and his cheekbones were also like Harry's. The man was dressed in a black, silk poet shirt, black leather pants, knee-high black boots and a long black coat with intricate designs on the sleeves and the collar. He appeared to be in his late 40s or early 50s and was about a head taller than him. Harry concluded that this was, most probably, his ancestor. He seemed equally as startled as the guards when he saw Harry's eyes, but covered it up much better than they did.

"Speak, stranger, but be careful with your words" the man said in a commanding and powerful tone that clearly conveyed the true meaning – "Tell the truth or die". It frightened the young boy slightly but he kept his mask of cold indifference up. Weighing his options quickly, Harry decided that being blunt would be best.

"I am your descendant and seek refuge in your coven" he answered, his neon blue eyes never leaving the older man's. The answer shocked the other vampire, but his eyes quickly narrowed and fury and suspicion became visible in them.

"Lies" he hissed out, baring his long, ivory white fangs at Harry, who, despite the obvious threat, remained calm and collected. Predators enjoyed the fear of their prey and Harry was not about to allow to be labeled as such. Remembering the goblins' words about blood memory, the black-haired boy inclined his head to the right, exposing his neck to his ancestor, and pronounced only one word: "Drink". The reaction was almost immediate and before Harry could even blink he felt a pair of sharp fangs sink into his jugular, two hands holding him firmly in place by his shoulders. The pair of vampires stayed in that position for a minute or two, neither of them moving and the only sound in the room being the crackling from the fireplace and the faintest of gulps as the blood ran down the Elder's throat and he looked at Harry's memories.

Viktor had closed his eyes as he watched the life of the young vampire flash in front of his eyes. What he saw angered him greatly. He could not and would never understand or condone child abuse and this young boy had been abused severely. By his own relatives, no less! No, wait, not real relatives – adopted relatives. So the young boy had been telling the truth – he really was his descendant. It was a downright miracle for Viktor and filled his cold heart with a warmth he had not felt in a very long time. But what a harsh life this child had been through so far! Especially the harsh betrayal of his supposed best friends and surrogate family.

It reminded Viktor of Sonja's and Selene's betrayals. It saddened him greatly that both of his daughters had fallen in love with lycans and had chosen them over him. Love over family. Killing Sonja, his own flesh and blood, had been a task that Viktor had hoped not to repeat ever again. But alas! Selene had fallen into the same trap as Sonja and Viktor had been forced yet again to perform the cruel act of killing a person he loved dearly. But Selene had decided to protect the hybrid, Michael Corvin, and he had had to die. The abomination had perished by Viktor's hand, of course, but that day was the second-worst in his long, immortal life. Being betrayed was, apparently, something that ran in the family. However, for the boy to experience this kind of betrayal at such a young age – that was even worse.

Gently dislodging his fangs from the neck of the young boy, the Vampire Elder wrapped his arms around Harry's slightly trembling form. The memories had flashed in front his emerald eyes as well, memories he had thought he had locked away for good. Tears were falling down his pale face as Harry could only return the hug from his ancestor and start crying for the first time in his life. Viktor didn't mind it at all and as he sat down on the armchair he had been occupying before, he pulled his descendant onto his lap and allowed the young boy to cry into his chest, rubbing soothing circles on his back.

_**HPxUnderworld*****************************************_

Hi again!^_^

So, I hope that you enjoyed reading this chapter. I know that I immensely enjoyed writing it. I tried to soften Viktor up just a tiny little bit – to show that he did feel remorse and guilt about Sonja's death. I think that, deep down, Viktor really is a caring father, but that due to his multiple duties as an Elder, a warlord and a father, Viktor had to draw a line somewhere and he chose his warlord side to be more dominant most of the time. Unfortunately, that is the side that everyone got to see. In private, though, I am pretty sure he was a caring father.^_^

So enter Harry! To prove my theory, I mean…^_^'…

Please leave a review! I will be especially happy, if the aforementioned review is nice and long, full with comments and constructive criticism! Suggestions are, as always, more than welcome, as are the opinions of my dear readers!^_^

*suddenly hugged by Viktor from behind*

Lady Avotil: Viktor! Get off of me!

Viktor: You actually gave me a descendant! A male, vampire descendant! None of the other authors did this!

Lady Avotil: *uses martial arts technique to free herself before turning to readers* Well, gotta run before I am hugged to death! Remember: leave a review!*runs away*

Viktor: But I just want to thank you, milady! *runs after her*


	2. Chapter 2: Family

Hi there!^_^

First off, I would like to thank _**little-bast**_ not only for a wonderful review, but also for making a few great suggestions, some of which will be implemented later on in the story.^_^

Well, here is the next chapter of this story! And it is within the deadline I promised you, my dear readers, as well! I assure you that even though I have had a very strong streak of faltering when it came to updating a story until recently, the fire within me that makes me continue with this story is burning fiercer than ever!^_^

Viktor: Excellent speech!

Lady A.: Thank you, Viktor. Now, the disclaimer, if you will.

Viktor: Certainly *clears throat* Lady Avotil does not own the "Underworld" series or the "Harry Potter" series, only the plot of this story.

Lady A.: Unfortunately, that is true. Otherwise I would have owned Viktor…

Viktor: Did you say something about me? *narrows eyes in suspicion*

Lady A.: No, not at all! *smiles as if nothing is wrong* Thanks for saying the disclaimer.

Viktor: You are welcome *walks back to his room*

Lady A.: Now, on to the story! *smiles*

_**HPxUnderworld***************************************************_

_**Chapter 2: Family**_

Viktor closed his eyes as he tried to calm his shaking descendant. He did not blame the young boy for losing his composure after reliving the terrible memories of his unhappy childhood. His supposed relatives had treated the black-haired boy even worse than how Viktor had treated the lycans when they were still mere slaves to the vampires. Just the thought of what the black-haired boy had endured at the hands of the Dursleys made the vampire Elder seethe in anger, his neon blue eyes turning an even brighter shade of blue behind his closed eyelids. What those monsters had done to the boy in his arms was unforgivable. Shaking his head slightly, the regal vampire concentrated once again on the quivering form of his heir sitting on his lap.

Harry, meanwhile, tried to desperately lock his worst memories in the furthest part of his mind once again. He did not want to watch them repeatedly replay themselves in front of his eyes, each time getting more and more vivid. His uncontrollable trembling increased when a sudden thought occurred to the young vampire's mind – what did his ancestor think of him now? Was he ashamed to have such a weak and vulnerable descendant? Would his ancestor now deny being related to him because of it?

That was all Harry's currently fragile nervous system could take. The fear of rejection from the only living – or not-so-living – relative he had overwhelmed him. The last thing Harry saw before a black veil descended over his eyes was the memory of Vernon Dursley swinging a belt with a sharp buckle at the end down towards his uncovered back and calling him a "good for nothing freak".

Noticing the sudden stillness of his heir's form and just as sudden stop of crying, the vampire Elder looked down at the young boy's face. It appeared that he had fainted. Neon blue yes darkened to a soft azure colour as they observed the peaceful slumber the black-haired boy had fallen into. Viktor sighed sadly as he slowly stood up from his comfortable armchair, his arms holding Harry steadily against his chest. Stopping in front of the couch, he slowly lowered the sleeping young vampire onto it.

The older vampire sat down next to his heir, watching the steady rise and fall of the boy's chest. He made a silent promise then and there that he would take care of Harry, as if he were his own son and nothing less. He would also not make the same mistakes he did with his first two children, Sonja and Selene. Harry would grow into a fine young man, who would be more than worthy to one day take his place as an Elder, a leader of the coven.

_**Four hours later…**_

Neon blue eyes snapped open as Harry woke up from his nightmare-filled sleep and abruptly sat up bolt right. The black-haired boy breathed heavily as he looked around the room he was in and recognized it as the one in which he had met his ancestor. The thought of his ancestor brought back the tormenting questions that had plagued his mind before he had fallen unconscious and which had then followed him into his dream, conjuring up images of the strict-looking Elder unceremoniously kicking him out of the mansion.

"Calm down", came a voice from his left, startling Harry. Turning around, neon blue eyes met a pair of soft azure ones. Harry quickly scrambled off the couch and turned so that he was face to face with his ancestor.

"What are you going to do to me?", the question flew out of the black-haired boy's mouth before he could stop it.

The vampire Elder recoiled, as if he had been slapped in the face, his eyes wide in surprise. Did his own descendant really think that he would actually hurt him? Those monsters the young boy had had to unfortunately call his relatives his entire life had truly damaged him to make him think such a horrid thought.

"I apologize for my actions before but I had to make sure that you were telling the truth. As for my intentions – I intend for you to stay here, Harry. You are, after all, my heir and as such it is only right for you to live here", Viktor informed the apparently startled young vampire. Did the boy really think that he would reject him?

"Y-Yo-You won't re-reject me?", Harry asked uncertainly, his recent dream at the forefront of his mind causing him to stutter in fear of his ancestor's answer.

Viktor could only stare at his descendant, his mouth slightly open. The boy really did think he would reject him! The betrayal of his two best friends and his surrogate family had had a greater scarring effect on the boy than Viktor had thought. He knew, of course, that with betrayal came a heightened sense of distrust towards other people, but for Harry to have so little trust in Viktor, his only living relative, somehow wounded the Elder. Perhaps he should not have reacted the way he had when the boy had come to him…Unfortunately, that was in the past and he could not change it. He could only hope that, as time went by, Harry would trust him more.

"Of course not!", the older vampire exclaimed before his voice took on a softer and more fatherly tone, "Child, I know what you have been through and let me assure you – I will never allow something like that to ever happen to you again", Viktor told his young heir, cupping the boy's cheek lovingly with his hand as he spoke.

The effect of that small gesture in combination with the older vampire's promise was almost immediate. The tenseness in Harry's shoulders went away and the clearly visible fear in his eyes was replaced by a look of immense relief. Harry closed his eyes in contentedness and leaned his face into his ancestor's hand. This was the first act of affection anyone had ever shown him – the students at Hogwarts had always seemed to stay away from him, as if he were either dangerous or had some kind of horrible disease. Yes, they always avoided him like the plague. Even his two best friends – _former_ best friend he reminded himself – seemed to do that, despite the fact that the black-haired boy had seen various students around the castle who were friends hug each other when they were happy or comfort each other when they were sad.

A small smile appeared on the vampire Elder's face when he saw his heir's reaction to his gesture. Viktor was very happy that his descendant had chosen to come here instead of going somewhere else. He felt like he had been given a second chance to correct his past mistakes. Well, third chance, actually, but the sentiment about it remained the same. This was a chance for a new life for both him and Harry.

"I have had your room prepared", Viktor informed the black-haired boy, "Follow me".

With that he turned around, walked to the door, opened it and went outside into the hallway. Not waiting to be told twice by his ancestor, Harry quickly went after him. Viktor's long, black coat billowed slightly as the vampire Elder strode down the hallway, reminding Harry of Severus Snape, his old Potion's Professor at Hogwarts. However, unlike Snape's, Viktor's presence was more calming than frightening, a sense of power radiating from his person. Snape, on the other hand, always seemed to exude a sense of malice and hate whenever he walked down the hallways of Hogwarts.

Hogwarts…Harry supposed that there would always be a part of him that would stay connected to the ancient castle. Despite Hermione's opinion and constant attempts to make him think otherwise, Harry had always thought that the castle was at least semi-sentient. It always made Harry feel welcome there and on the day of his expulsion the castle had seemed to have an aura of sadness to it, like the one a mother would most probably have when she had to let go of her child. It was that feeling of motherly love that endeared the magical castle to Harry's heart and which left no doubt in his mind that it was his true home. Unfortunately, that was no longer the case. He had been banned from Hogwarts permanently, like an indefinite house-arrest outside of his home. The black-haired boy wondered, if he would ever feel the same sense of belonging anywhere else.

The mansion where his ancestor and his coven lived reminded Harry to an extent of Hogwarts. There was no doubt in his mind that this building was old, possibly as old as Hogwarts. Old buildings always had that little something that made them stand apart from those who were modern day ones. _The mansion might actually become my new home_, Harry silently mused.

The young vampire was so deep in thought that he almost crashed into his ancestor when the vampire Elder suddenly stopped.

"Your room is the one on the right. Mine is right across from yours", Viktor informed his young heir, motioning with his right arm to the bistre-coloured door with intricate Celtic carvings on the doorframe. Cautiously, as if the older vampire would suddenly shout at him and punish him somehow, Harry opened the door. What he saw inside made his jaw drop in surprise and stare in complete disbelief.

The room was at least three times as big as the room the Dursleys had "graciously" given him "out of the goodness of their hearts". Within was the basic furniture one would expect a bedroom to contain – a bed, a bedside table, a desk with a chair in front of it, a dresser and a big bookshelf. What was so unusual about the ones inside the room was that they were all decorated with magnificent Byzantine carvings and all of them looked just as old as the mansion appeared to be. This, however, gave the room an even nobler appearance, perhaps even a royal one with the huge four-poster bed and dresser. The bookshelf contained a lot of leather-bound books. An exotic-looking, carmine-coloured Persian rug covered a major part of the floor, with various animal pelts covering the rest._ All of this is mine?_, Harry wondered, turning around to look at his ancestor.

"This is my room?", the black-haired boy inquired of the vampire Elder, a look of surprise, but also happiness on his face. The regal vampire nodded.

Viktor soon found himself with an armful of young vampire as Harry almost hugged the life – _or maybe death?_ – out of him. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around the idea that as simple an action as showing the boy his new room could make the young vampire so happy. He knew, of course, from Harry's memories that the Dursleys had not given him a nice room, but he knew that four-poster beds were normal at Hogwarts. Well, he had a lot of time to get to know his newly-discovered heir.

"I take it that you like it", Viktor commented, a small chuckle escaping him as he did.

"Like it? I love it!", the young vampire exclaimed, tightening his arms around his ancestor even more.

After a few more moments standing like that, Harry finally released the vampire Elder, a small blush spreading across his cheeks. Deciding that he didn't want to face Viktor after such an embarrassing, for him anyway, moment, the young, black-haired vampire quickly turned around and went into his room, intent on taking a closer look at it. Especially all of those books in his bookshelf – who knew what kind of interesting information he would find in them? Going over to the furniture in question, Harry took out a random book and looked at the title.

To his utter dismay, it was in Hungarian! Pouting, Harry put the book back and chose another one. This one was, unfortunately for Harry, also in Hungarian. An uneasy feeling started to creep up in the back of his mind. _The books couldn't all be in Hungarian, could they?_ Quickly running a finger along the spines of the books, the young vampire discovered that the answer to that question was "Yes". _No fair!_ Hearing a light chuckle behind him, he turned around and saw it had come from his ancestor, a twinkle of amusement lighting up his neon blue eyes.

"Yes, you will have to learn Hungarian to read those books", Viktor confirmed the thought that was going through his heir's mind. _But it would also help you communicate more easily with the vampires in this coven_, the Elder silently added. The older vampire watched in amusement as his descendant let out a rather theatrical sigh.

"Harry", Viktor began, carefully thinking his question over. Would Harry accept his offer? He could only hope.

"Yes?", the young vampire replied, looking at his ancestor expectantly.

"I know that your wound from the betrayal of your friends and surrogate family is still fresh, but I was wondering…if you would allow me the honour of calling you my son", the vampire Elder slightly hesitantly asked, a small, almost invisible flicker of hope in his neon blue eyes.

Harry could only stare at his ancestor. _Son?_ Normally he would have jumped at such an opportunity but his former best friends' and surrogate family's perfidy made him cautious of such chances. He could not, would not, go through such a heinous experience again, if he could avoid it. _But he made me a promise_, the black-haired boy reminded himself. His ancestor – _possibly soon-to-be father?_ – was more than willing to trust him, so shouldn't he be able to do the same? Besides, wasn't it his greatest wish since he was a small boy to be part of an actual family? Slowly a small smile emerged on Harry's face.

"The honour would be mine…father", the 12-year-old answered, tasting the new title on his tongue. The smile became even wider. It seemed right to call his ancestor "father".

It was one of the happiest moments in Viktor's life. He could not believe that his descendant had agreed to become his son! The vampire Elder's heart was jumping in joy at the thought of not only finally having a son, but also having a child again. Embracing his new son, Viktor vowed to himself that he would never let Harry down. He could only hope that the black-haired boy would never let him down as well. The vampire Elder let go of Harry, put his hands on the boy's shoulders and looked him in the eye.

"Excellent", he said, "Now, go to bed. Dawn is upon us and you will need all the sleep you can get. After all, tomorrow evening I will present you as my son and heir to the entire coven", the vampire Elder explained to his new son.

"Um…does it have to be tomorrow evening?"

Harry fervently hoped that his father (he couldn't help but smile at that thought) would tell him that it was a joke and that there would either be no presentation at all or that it would be later in the week. He was not sure he was ready for a presentation. Besides, wouldn't it be better, if he had some time to learn about vampire traditions and laws and various other things? _Hm, that actually sounds like a good argument_, the black-haired boy mused. Seeing his father was about to reply, Harry decided to intervene.

"I mean, wouldn't it be better, if I had some time to learn about vampire traditions and laws?", Harry proposed, trying not to let the desperation slip into his voice, though at the end of his suggestion it became audible anyway. Viktor's reaction to this was a chuckle and a slight nod.

"You make a valid argument, my son. Very well, your presentation to the coven will be in…two months", the vampire Elder declared, startling the young boy with his decision.

"Um…why did you suddenly go from "in one day" to "in two months", father? I am slightly confused", Harry questioned, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"The traditions and laws of our species are very special, Harry, as is the way a coven functions. I will teach you the basics of the dance of politics and the basics of how to defend yourself with both old and new weapons", Viktor explained, seeing his son's neon blue eyes light up in curiosity and excitement. He was very happy that Harry was so eager to learn from him.

"Fighting? Great!", the young vampire shouted, doing a victory sign, before looking at Viktor doubtfully, "Is the politics part really necessary?", the black-haired boy wearily asked, unease clearly visible on his face. The politics in the Wizarding World were horrible and if the ones in the coven were the same…

"The dangers of the world outside are no greater than those in the council chamber. To be able to fight in there you must know the dance of politics", the Elder slightly lectured his son, repeating the words he had said to his daughter so long ago. Viktor was pleased when he saw a gleam of interest enter his son's eyes at the mention of politics being like a fight. _Ah, so he is a fighter. Like me. That is not a surprise – after all, he __**is**__ my heir_, the older vampire fondly thought as he observed the 12-year-old consider his statement.

"I will leave you to your thoughts", the regal vampire told his son before swiftly turning on his heel and exiting the room, a small smile tugging at his lips. He had not been this content for centuries.

Harry watched his father close the door of his room. He supposed that getting used to a vampire's bedtime hours would be necessary. Then again, that was only a minor price for what he had gained tonight – a family.

With that joyful thought in mind, the young vampire changed into his pajama bottoms, which he found were in the wardrobe, along with all of his other new clothes the goblins had purchased for him. After making sure that the curtains covering the window were tightly closed, Harry slipped under the duvet covers of his very comfortable bed. The moment his head hit the pillow, the young vampire fell asleep, his dreams filled for once with happy scenes.

_**HPxUnderworld***************************************************_

Okay, so it has been confirmed that I cannot write a decent conversation, if my life depended on it. Still, I hope it wasn't too sappy or anything like that. I will try to make Viktor act more like himself in the next chapters, I promise!^_^

Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a nice and long review!^_^

Viktor: *takes Lady A's hand and bows over it* I am very grateful to you.

Lady A: *sweatdrops* Didn't we go over this the last time? You owe me nothing. Now, me, on the other hand, I owe you. After all, if you didn't exist, then this story would never have been possible.

Viktor: *smiles smugly* True.

Lady A: Aha! Now _**there**_ is the Viktor we all love and know! *grins*

Viktor: Whatever do you mean by that? I was always here *walks away*

Lady A: Trying to cover up his uncharacteristic behaviour from last chapter, eh? Well, let him cover it up then *turns to readers* Remember, dear readers! Read and review!^_^


	3. Chapter 3: Amy, training and blood

Hi people!^_^

Well, here is chapter 3! I am really happy that I have kept my promise of a weekly update of this story so far. I am hoping that it will continue like this without any problems.^_^

Keep those nice and long reviews coming, because they are as vital for me as blood is for a vampire!^_^

Now, Viktor, the disclaimer, if you will.^_^

Viktor: Lady Avotil does not own the "Harry Potter" or the "Underworld" series, just the plot of this story and any OC characters.

Lady A: Thanks, Viktor.

Viktor: You're welcome *turns to leave*

Lady A: Wait! You promised you would teach me how to do the dance of politics.

Viktor: *raises eyebrow* I did?

Lady A: Yes, you did. How else do you expect me to teach Harry about politics?

Viktor: *sighs* Very well. Come along now.

Lady A: Just a second! *turns to readers* Enjoy the chapter! *smiles*

_**HPxUnderworld****************************************_

_**Chapter 3: Amy, training and blood**_

Harry slowly lowered himself into the almost hot water in his bathtub, enjoying the warmth that washed over his pale skin. His now almost constantly neon blue eyes gazing at the beautifully-tiled wall of his bathroom, following the gently swirling silver patterns on the dark blue tiles. He twirled a strand of his midnight-black hair around a slender finger, his eyes acquiring a far-away look. Much had changed since he had arrived at his ancestor's – now father's – mansion two months ago. He had changed the most during his first month here and Harry fondly remembered the day he started training with his father.

_Flashback_

Emerald green eyes shot open as the black-haired boy abruptly awoke from his first night of undisturbed sleep in a long time. Taking in the room he was in, Harry remembered the events of the previous night, a small smile appearing on his face. He had a family now, a father who would never let him down and who would protect him – it was his greatest wish come true.

Sitting up in his huge four-poster bed and shaking off the last vestiges of sleep, the young heir stood up and went over to his window. Peeking around the heavy curtains, he was only mildly surprised to see the last rays of the sun disappear behind the horizon. It appeared that his body had adjusted to a vampire's sleeping schedule much more easily than he had thought it would. The 12-year-old pulled the curtains back and let the pale light of the moon illuminate his room. Suddenly there was a knock on his door.

Harry absentmindedly called "Enter", entranced by the beauty of the moon and the stars in the ink blue sky. He had never seen the stars so clearly before, even at Hogwarts during the Astronomy classes. A sharp intake of breath made the young vampire finally turn around. Standing in the doorway and openly staring at him was a young girl, looking no older than him, maybe around 12 or 13. Slightly tilting his head to the side, Harry wondered why she was looking at him in that way.

Amy was stunned by the sight before her. Sure, the kid looked like he was around her age, maybe a little younger, but he had an upper body that many older boys would kill for. His abdominal muscles slightly showed and his arms were muscled, but not too much. The black-haired boy had, in short, an athlete's body and it was a very nice sight for the brown-haired teenage girl. A light blush spread across her cheeks as her chocolate brown eyes met the other vampire's emerald green ones. Amy cursed her just now awakening hormones and lowered her eyes to the carpeted floor, hoping that her blushing face was hidden from the boy's view by her fringe. Remembering what she had been sent here to do, she looked back up at the boy and found him looking at her with a confused expression on his face.

"Lord Viktor has asked me to bring you to the dojo", she informed the handsome (in her opinion) young vampire, her English having a very American accent to it.

"I'll be ready in a few minutes", was his reply, a slightly uncaring tone to it. Nodding, Amy stepped back into the hallway and closed the door.

Harry, meanwhile, went over to his closet and chose an outfit that would be perfect for any kind of physical training – a black sports jacket and black sports pants, with both of them having strips of dark blue running down the sides. A tight, black T-Shirt with a few dark grey designs on the front clung to his upper body like a second skin. Actually, both the sports jacket and pants weren't too flared out either so that they didn't hinder any of his movements, which would most probably be very important. Brushing his teeth, combing his hair and taking one last look in the mirror hanging above the sink in the bathroom adjoined to his room, the young heir made sure that he looked more or less adequate. He couldn't very well look as if he had just gotten out of bed in front of the entire coven, could he?

Amy was leaning on the wall opposite the door of the boy's room, lost in thought and wondering who the handsome young vampire was, when the door opened. The messy bed head was gone and, to Amy's slight disappointment, so was the view of his bare chest. The boy had an indifferent look on his face as he closed the door behind himself and turned to look at her. However, as Amy watched the boy's emerald eyes turn a neon blue colour a glint of curiosity appeared in them.

"Shall we?", he asked, motioning with his hand down the hallway.

Amy once again nodded and started going in the direction of the stairs leading down to the foyer. Harry noted that it was much emptier than last night and attributed the lack of vampires there to the fact that most of them were probably still getting up. His attention, though, quickly went back to the girl who was leading him to the mansion's dojo. She looked like a kind person, with her chocolate brown, almond-shaped eyes, heart-shaped face, and shoulder-length dark brown hair, but the black-haired boy was skeptical. After all, Hermione had also looked like a nice person, yet she, along with his other former best friend and surrogate family, had betrayed him. Then again, if he was going to be the heir of Viktor, then he should probably be able to at least talk with the vampires in this coven. This girl would probably be a good start. Besides, she was most probably around his age, if he was right, and that was always a bonus.

"So, what's your name?", Harry casually asked, hoping to sound as nonchalant as possible. The brown-eyed girl looked surprised that he had asked her something or that he had even talked.

"Amy. Amy Jones. What about you?", she replied, thinking that maybe he wasn't as cold as she had thought he was.

"Hadrian", the black-haired boy answered, remembering how he had found out at Gringotts that his full name was Hadrian Jameson Potter. Well, he was quite determined to change his surname – he never wanted to be associated with the Potter name ever again. Also, why make finding him easier for Dumbledore?

"It's nice to meet you Hadrian. So, how'd you come to be here? I've never seen you around here before", Amy inquired – she wanted to find out more about Hadrian.

The only answer she got was a small, yet sad smile before Hadrian's previous mask of indifference covered his face once again. No more words were exchanged between the two, though the silence wasn't awkward in any way. Amy was content to wait – she wanted to be friends with the mysterious young vampire. A few minutes later, after leading Hadrian through two sets of high double doors and through a room, which Harry deemed was an armory or maybe even a headquarters of some sort, Amy stopped in front of yet another set of high double doors. Turning to the other young vampire, the brown-haired teenage girl looked calmly at him, a friendly smile on her face.

"Well, through these doors is the dojo of the mansion, so I'll leave you here", she informed him and after receiving a slight nod Amy left the armory/headquarters.

Taking a deep breath, Harry pushed open the doors, went inside and found himself in a typical martial arts training room. Except that this one was more or less twice the size of any dojo Harry had ever seen in a movie and not just in length and width – the ceiling was as high, if not higher than the big double doors leading into the room. A figure was standing in the center of the dojo and Harry immediately recognized him as his father. The vampire Elder looked over his son's attire and nodded in approval.

Harry took that time to look over his father's own clothing and was surprised to find that there was barely any difference between the vampire Elder's clothes from the previous night and this one. The older vampire wore black, leather pants, knee-high leather boots, a dark blue poet shirt and his long, black coat was still there as well.

"Welcome to the mansion's dojo, Harry, and your first fighting lesson", Viktor announced, a small smile tugging at his lips, before walking to one end of the training room and stopping in front of the wall.

Various swords and staffs were hanging on it. Taking one of the weapons off the wall – a broadsword, Harry thought – he seemed to weigh it in his hand. Once again nodding in approval, the older vampire swiftly turned towards Harry and tossed the sword in the black-haired boy's direction. Caught off guard by his father's action, Harry barely managed to catch the flying weapon in time before it could hit him, stumbling a little bit as he did.

Confused eyes looked at the vampire Elder, who only drew a well-hidden sword from underneath his black coat. Even from this far away, Harry could tell that the hilt was decorated with very detailed Celtic markings, an ornate "V" on the pommel. In comparison, the hilt of the sword Viktor had given Harry was plain and normal, though the young heir noticed with curiosity that both of their blades were silver. Also, if he was right, and Harry was pretty sure that he was, then his father had just taken out his own personal sword.

Almost immediately the black-haired young vampire realized what was about to happen: a sword fight, no doubt to measure his skill in fighting with such a weapon. A small tremor of fear, as well as excitement passed through Harry, but his mask of indifference remained firmly fixed on his face. He would not show fear – a weakness, in his opinion – to his father or to anyone else for that matter.

Without a word, Viktor raised his sword and lunged at Harry. The young vampire crouched slightly, baring his fangs on instinct as he too raised his sword to block the strike from above. The moment the two silver blades clashed, the vampire Elder wasted no time and went for another attack, this one to Harry left. Harry was thankful for his seeker reflexes as he brought his blade from its horizontal position above him into a vertical one, the tip of his sword pointing down, to successfully parry the second blow. Again his father jumped into action and, whirling around to the right without losing his momentum, tried to hit Harry's right side. Harry managed to just barely deflect this blow, having to take a step back with his right foot to do so.

The fight continued on in this fashion, with Viktor relentlessly attacking the younger vampire, who was forced to duck, dodge and jump more and more as his arms got tired not only from holding the slightly heavy sword, but also from blocking the vampire elder's strong attacks. Harry's mask of indifference had fallen away after the first three blows and sweat was running down his face. Viktor, on the other hand, was not even breathing hard, let alone sweating. With a jolt, the young vampire suddenly realized several things at once: firstly, his father was most definitely not giving it his all; secondly, he was slowly being driven into a corner; thirdly, he had no chance whatsoever of winning.

However, Harry was not a loser and had never liked being one. With a small smirk appearing on his face, the young vampire jumped over an attack that would have cut his legs off at the knees and attacked. The attack was, of course, more or less pathetic. Due to his arms being tired, his blow had practically no strength behind it. So when his father blocked it and then pushed Harry's sword back, the unexpected action made the weapon fly out of the young vampire's hands. Before the black-haired vampire could even blink, the tip of Viktor's silver sword was at his throat.

"I…yield", Harry panted, breathing heavily from the fight.

The moment the vampire Elder removed his sword and put it back in its place beneath his black cloak, the 12-year-old collapsed on the floor, lying spread eagle on the mats on his back and staring with an excited and happy glint in his neon blue eyes at the high ceiling of the dojo. His raven black hair was plastered to his head.

Viktor had no doubts that his son was exhausted from their little fight, but he was most pleased with how the boy had handled the sword he had given him. Viktor had not fought all out, yet he had refused to hold back too much as well. After all, fighting was learned through experience and if he coddled his son, then he would never reach his full potential as a warrior. And by the Elders, his heir's potential was immense. He definitely had a fighter's instinct – that much was clear. The vampire Elder swore to himself that he would help his son become the best no matter what.

After a few minutes had passed, Harry thought he was finally well enough to stand up without promptly falling down again. Sitting up slowly, the black-haired vampire held back a wince. His arms were sore and his legs – weak. What was the worst, though, was that he was incredibly thirsty and he had a bad feeling that a glass or two of water would not quench this particular thirst. As he thought about this, his neon blue eyes glowed even brighter and his fangs extended, protruding slightly from his mouth.

Viktor, seeing this, immediately went over to a small table in the corner of the dojo that Harry had not noticed before, took one of the glasses that were on the table and poured a dark red liquid into it from the pitcher there. Hesitating for a few seconds, the vampire elder took another glass – this one was for himself – and also poured the dark red liquid from the pitcher into it. With the two glasses in his hands, the older vampire walked back towards his heir, who was watching his approach wearily and impatiently at the same time. _He is probably unsure whether to drink the blood or not_, he thought as he reached his son and gave him one of the glasses.

Harry reluctantly took the glass offered to him by his father and cautiously sniffed at the liquid within it. Immediately the scent assaulted his nose and his vampire side identified it just as quickly. It was, without a shadow of a doubt, blood. Ever since his vampire gene had been activated, Harry had avoided drinking the liquid that was vital to his species. As a result, an inner battle was taking place in his already tired mind, creating the beginnings of a headache.

One side of him – his vampire side – desperately wanted to drain the entire glass, whilst the other side of him – the little humanity he had left in him – was protesting and dissuading him from doing it. It was, Harry decided, a fierce battle and the more he wondered whether to drink the blood or not, the more his headache intensified. His decision, however, was made for him when his father lifted his glass of blood in the air.

"To your first lesson, my son. You did well", was all the vampire Elder said before taking a sip out of his glass.

The black-haired vampire could only numbly lift his glass in response to the toast and slowly bring it to his mouth, trying to stall the inevitable as much as possible. When the first drop of blood landed on his tongue, Harry had to restrain himself from avidly gulping the content of the glass down. The blood, contrary to his expectations, tasted wonderfully, like a sweet elixir. It was like manna from heaven for him.

"The blood you are drinking is steer's blood. I thought that for your first taste of the liquid that sustains us vampires it should be real blood and not a blood substitute, which is what the vampires in this coven drink. Steer's blood is better than the substitute, but nothing quite equals the taste of human blood", Viktor informed his heir, closing his eyes as he remembered its sweet taste and the sensation of it running down his throat. Opening his eyes again, he looked back at the black-haired boy, who was listening with a gleam of curiosity in his eyes. The glass in the young vampire's hand was almost half empty. "Drinking the blood of humans is forbidden by this coven's covenant and it is the first rule you will learn to follow", the vampire Elder finished his small lecture. With that, the older vampire left his now empty glass back on the table in the dojo's corner and strode out of the training room, his coat billowing behind him as he did.

A few minutes later Harry followed his father out of the dojo and out of the armory/headquarters. He would have to remember to ask about that later on because right now he was in desperate need of a good shower. As he went up the stairs he saw Amy, the girl who had led him to the training room, going down the hallway of the upper floor towards where his room was. Curious, he silently followed her, wondering why she was going in that direction. _Her own room could be there, who knows_, Harry thought as he watched her stop in front of his room. Smirking slightly, the black-haired boy snuck up on the still oblivious girl and tapped her on her right shoulder. Startled, the brown-eyed girl jumped into the air and let out a small shriek. Her reaction made his smirk grow into a small smile, which he hid as soon as her gaze landed on him. A small glare was promptly directed at him.

"Don't you ever sneak up on me like that, Hadrian!", Amy berated him, though there was no real anger behind her remark. Harry allowed himself a small chuckle.

"Well, you were blocking the way", he retorted, making her sigh.

"Fair enough", she admitted, "But you should hurry up and get a shower. Your Hungarian lessons will start in 20 minutes", she calmly told him before leaning back on the wall opposite his room and pointedly looking at him when he just stared at her.

"Well? Go on! You wouldn't want to make me wait, now, would you?", she inquired, raising her left eyebrow as she did. Harry blinked.

"What? Why wouldn't I want to do that?"

"Because I am your teacher in Hungarian", she replied, a small smirk appearing on her face. Harry noted to himself not to antagonize her in the future. Without another word the black-haired boy went into his room, closed the door and made a dash for the bathroom.

_End of Flashback_

That was the day he and Amy first met and their friendship began. It was also the day that he fist drank blood and that his training started.

Getting out of the bathtub, Harry took a towel and wrapped it around his hips, whilst drying his hair with another one. He had to hurry up a little bit. After all, he couldn't be late to his own presentation, now could he?

_**HPxUnderworld****************************************_

Well, it appears that I like to write flashbacks. Prepare for some more in the next chapter! After that I will try to keep them down to a minimum, I promise.^_^

Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please, leave a nice and long review! I really enjoy reading them and I always reply!^_^

Lady A: *tries to remember* So, if my opponent says something that insults me, I should throw a subtle insult back at them and propose a solution to the problem raised by my opponent at the same time. Did I get it right?

Viktor: *nods in approval* Yes, you did.

Lady A: But what if the opponent comes back at me with a counter-argument and a counter-insult? Wouldn't I end up in a vicious, never ending cycle of insults and arguments?

Viktor: No, because then you scowl as menacingly as you can and ask your opponent, if he doubts you.

Lady A: *blinks* Wouldn't that only work, if I was in the highest available position of power?

Viktor: That is why you scowl menacingly – that cows them into agreeing with you.

Lady A: Oh! I see! *notes this down in little notebook* So, what's the next subject?

Viktor: Tax-paying and how to handle people who refuse to pay it.

Lady A: Interesting *turns to readers* Remember: leave a nice and long review!^_^


	4. Chapter 4: Snake and Revelation

Hi people!^_^

Firstly, I would like to thank _**bebepantheon**_ for the idea with the snake. It was absolutely awesome, so this chapter is dedicated to you!^_^

Parseltongue is – "_this_".^_^

Well, here is chapter 4! Wow, I feel really good. Not only do I know that I am regularly updating this story, but also that you, my dear readers, enjoy reading it!^_^

Now, enjoy chapter 4! Viktor, the disclaimer please!^_^

Viktor: Lady Avotil does not own the Harry Potter or Underworld series, only the plot of this story and any OC characters.

Lady A: Thanks, Viktor! Also, thank you for the lessons in politics.

Viktor: *shrugs* You had to teach Harry the dance of politics.

Lady A: Yes, I did have to, didn't I? *turns to readers* Well, enjoy reading chapter 4!^_^

_**HPxUnderworld******************************************_

_**Chapter 4: Snake and Revelation**_

Harry walked out of his bathroom and over to his wardrobe, his hair still dripping slightly from his bath. Opening the doors, the young heir looked through his wardrobe and thought about which robes he should put on for the presentation. He had to look like a young noble, after all. His neon blue eyes stopped their search when they came across a black, ankle-length coat with small, silver and forest green serpents along the hem of the robe and the sleeves. A small smile appeared on the black-haired teenager's face as he recalled the incident which prompted the creation of this particular garment.

_Flashback_

"Oh, Harry, your accent is so funny!", Amy exclaimed before she was overcome with another laughing fit, completely ignoring the small glare directed at her from a pair of neon blue eyes.

Harry had already been at the mansion for an entire month and during that time he had learned one thing – Hungarian was one hell of a language to learn! Amy, his new friend at the coven, made sure to remind him as often as possible that he still had a long way to go until he had mastered the native language of his father.

"Well, so is your German accent!", the irritated young vampire shot back at his friend, causing her to stop her excessive giggling and narrow her eyes at him.

"Not everyone had the opportunity to study that language as long as you did!", came her angry reply, though they both knew hat there was no true anger behind it.

The now 13-year old teenager smirked in return. He had never really told Amy this, but he had learned German outside of school and not at school like she thought. The Dursleys never knew of his secret studies, since Dudley had never dared step foot into the library, a place that had become a sanctuary for Harry. He had always been welcome there and the head librarian – a nice, elderly woman named Rose – had always been more than willing to help him learn the language, seeing as she herself had studied and lived in Germany for an extensive amount of time. By the time his Hogwarts letter had arrived, Harry had been proficient enough in German that it could have been considered his mother tongue.

"Ich weiss. Also mach dich nicht lustig über mich!"(I know. So don't make any fun of me!), Harry retorted.

"Okay, okay. I promise I won't laugh…much", the brown-haired girl told him, a smile on her face and a glimmer of amusement in her eyes.

Seeing this, Harry could not stop a similar smile appearing on his face. Amy was an okay person, in his opinion. He had been somewhat reluctant to open up to her in the beginning, but as he spent more and more time with her, he realized that she was nothing like any of his former friends. Amy was, in fact, like the friend he had always wished to have – nice, understanding, with a good sense of humour and, above all, loyal. Harry somehow knew without a shadow of a doubt that the vampire girl would never betray him or anyone she considered a good friend.

The peaceful moment between the two was suddenly interrupted when a high pitched scream ripped through the air. Harry and Amy both stared at the door of his room before exchanging a startled look with each other. Without even thinking, the young heir ran to the door, opened it and ran into the hallway, his mind all the while working overtime. _What could possibly frighten a vampire – an immortal creature – so much?, _he thought as he ran down the stairs leading to the entrance hall, jumping them down two steps at a time to reach the source of the scream as quickly as possible.

Arriving at the bottom of the staircase he saw a group of aristocratic vampires cowering in a corner of the spacious foyer, their frightened eyes trained on something in the middle of the room. Neon blue eyes turned from the clearly scared nobles towards where all of their looks were directed. What he saw made him wish to fall down in an anime-like fashion. There, lying in the center of the beautiful foyer and the cause of the vampires' fear was…a snake.

Rolling his neon blue eyes and throwing a look of disgust at the collection of scaredy-cats in the corner, the black-haired vampire casually strolled to where the reptile was and crouched down, his neon blue eyes making contact with the slitted, yellow ones of the cold-blooded animal. Harry heard a sharp intake of breath behind him, making him smile. _Most probably from Amy_, he mused. Quickly taking in the size of the snake, he judged it to still be a rather young one.

"_Hello, little one. Why are you here?_", the black-haired teenager inquired, his question coming out in a series of hisses. Every single vampire in the room stopped moving as they heard the strange sounds coming out of the 13-year-old's mouth.

"_A speaker!_", the snakeling excitedly exclaimed, "_It is such a great honour to meet one!_". Harry let out a low groan, making sure that none of the vampires heard it. _Not another admirer_, he miserably thought.

"_Yes, I speak. Now, why are you here?_", the young vampire gently asked again, knowing that acting rashly would not help in this situation.

"_I am looking for a new nest since I just left my mother's_", the young snake explained and Harry was amused to hear a note of pride towards the end. _Obviously the snakeling is on its way to becoming an independent individual…uh…reptile_, Harry concluded. His mind was going through several case scenarios and only one of them seemed acceptable.

"_Would you like to stay in my nest?_", Harry hesitantly proposed. To his amusement as well as horror, the young snake seemed to attempt a small, happy jig.

"_Yes!_", came the joyful reply from the young reptile.

Harry carefully extended his arm towards the snake. Without even the slightest bit of hesitation the black reptile wound itself around the proffered appendage, slithering up until it had coiled itself in a loose, but comfortable position around its new owner's neck. The young vampire heir slowly stood up, gently stroking the snake's head and listening to what appeared to be a snake-version of a purr.

Suddenly the sound of clapping pierced the silence in the entrance hall and Harry turned around. Amy had a big grin on her face as she applauded her friend. Before Harry could blink, Amy had run towards him and wrapped her arms around him in a friendly hug. Releasing him from the embrace, the brown-eyed girl looked at her friend, the grin getting even bigger.

"That was so cool, Harry! Is the snake going to be your new pet?", she asked, looking at the content reptile hanging around the teenage vampire's shoulders.

_End Flashback_

It had turned out that Viktor had watched the entire spectacle. His father had not objected when he had declared that Nox – the snake's name – was his new pet. The little debacle with the reptile had also resulted in Harry getting either looks of respect or of fear whenever he went past one of the noble vampires in the mansion and after he was assumed to be out of earshot the whispers started – whispers, where Harry was called "Kígyó-beszélő", meaning "Snake-speaker" in Hungarian as he later found out. Amy, of course, was highly amused by his complaints about receiving the title.

Slipping into a pair of black, leather pants, Harry went a second time through his hair with a towel, making sure that it was completely dry. Once he was done, the young vampire put on a black, silk poet shirt, much like the one his father had worn on that one night two months ago. A look in the mirror on the doors of his wardrobe reminded Harry to comb through his black hair. Harry genuinely wanted to look as good as possible for his presentation tonight. After combing his raven black hair into a more or less slicked back style, the young vampire looked again in the mirror. _It's acceptable_, he decided.

Observing his face a little longer, Harry noted several minor changes since his arrival at the mansion. His complexion had paled a little bit more and his cheekbones were slightly more pronounced now, though this only gave him a more aristocratic look than before. His eyes…the greatest change was in his eyes, he knew. They were colder than before, more calculating, and there was no naivety or innocence in them anymore. He only ever revealed his real self in front of his father and Amy, since he was certain that he could trust them. Also, despite the fact that he could switch to his original eye colour anytime he wanted, the black-haired boy preferred his vampire neon blue eyes. It seemed more natural for them to be that colour than his previous emerald green one.

Harry shook his head – now was not the time for such trivial actions. Opening his wardrobe again, the young heir took out the coat with the snake decorations and put it on. His ability to speak with snakes was a gift, after all, a unique talent, and he had no reason to be ashamed of it. Besides, it would remind the nobles about the snake-incident and, consequently, about his power.

"_You look well, Harry_", Nox hissed from his position on his master's bed before lowering his head and closing his eyes. The young snake had grown since Harry had taken the reptile in.

"_Thank you, Nox_", Harry replied, a small smile on his face as he went towards the foot of his bed, grabbed his black, leather boots and put them on as well.

The last item that he would have to wear to his presentation was a formal sword-belt that was different than the ones used during the Medieval Ages by knights. At least, that was what his father had told him. The vampire Elder had insisted on him wearing it, along with a sword that Harry had yet to see. Mentally shrugging at this thought, the young heir fastened the belt around his hips, looking at the square, silver buckle and then at the intricate designs on the scabbard that would eventually sheath his sword. The black-haired teenager noticed with a small smile that the scabbard was hidden from view by his long coat, just like his father's was. He was abruptly pulled out of his thoughts by a knock on his door.

Amy looked at the long and heavy box she was carrying and wondered why Lord Viktor had told her – _**her**_ of all the vampires in the mansion – to deliver it to Harry. Thinking about the teenage boy, Amy couldn't help but smile. She had become great friends with him and their mock arguments were always a lot of fun for her. However, the brown-haired girl knew that there were some things that the other young vampire was hiding from her.

Amy's thoughts went to Lord Viktor's announcement in the late hours of the night yesterday – there would be a presentation today, though what or who would be presented was a mystery to every vampire in the coven. As she was thinking this, the door in front of her opened and revealed her friend standing in the doorway. Amy's breath caught as she took in his appearance. He had never looked so elegant before, so noble and aristocratic. His neon blue eyes briefly met her chocolate brown ones before looking her up and down and finally landing on the oblong box in her hands. The black-haired vampire raised an eyebrow, his expression indifferent. Amy blushed.

Harry was sure that if it weren't for his mask of indifference, he would be openly staring at his friend. She was dressed in a beautiful, strapless, floor-length, dark crimson dress with small flower decoration from the waist down. Around her neck hung a magnificent, oval onyx encased in a golden frame. Her hands were bare but on her right ring finger she wore an equally as magnificent golden ring inset with tiny onyx stones. She was, in short, breathtaking. Concentrating back on the present, Harry spotted the mahogany-coloured box in her hands and raised an eyebrow in a silent inquiry.

"Lord Viktor wanted me to deliver this to you. You know, I still have no idea why he is paying so much attention to you", Amy told him, watching a small glint of recognition entered his neon blue eyes. She wondered if she would ever see his mesmerizing, emerald green eyes ever again – his eyes seemed to constantly be their neon blue colour, which by no means was any less captivating than the other one.

"Thanks, Amy", he replied, taking the box off her hands, "I'll see you at the presentation". With that he closed the door, went over to his bed and carefully put the long box down on it. Nox lazily opened one eye, looked at the box and closed it again, deciding that it wasn't anything interesting.

Opening the latch and lifting the lid, Harry saw that his thoughts about the box's content were right – lying inside on a soft, red, velvet cushion was a sword. During the past two months Harry had come to appreciate the beauty of swords and this one was the most artfully crafted one he had ever seen. The sword was a broadsword, like his father's, and similar to his father's, the pommel had an ornate "H" on it. The handle of the sword was wrapped in a strip of black leather and the guard had intricate Celtic designs on it. The blade of the sword was, naturally, silver and the light from the lamp overhead gave it a deadly gleam.

Harry firmly gripped the handle of his new sword and carefully lifted it up from its box. A few experimental swings proved to Harry that the sword was brand new and the edges were sharpened to the point where, when the black-haired teen made a downward swing, the movement created a small whistling sound. Smiling in delight, the young vampire put the sword in its new scabbard. He was ready for the presentation.

Another knock brought his attention to the door yet again. Walking over to it, the young vampire opened it. On the other side stood none other than his father. Throwing a quick look over the vampire Elder's attire, Harry mused that he either had the same taste in clothing as Viktor or that Viktor had had a bigger influence on him than he had thought. The older vampire was dressed in the same clothes as his heir with the only difference being their coats. The teenage vampire stepped to the side and allowed his father to enter his room. Once the vampire Elder was inside, Harry quietly closed the door and turned towards him. He had one of his rare smiles on his face as he looked at the young vampire.

Viktor felt a fatherly pride overcome him as he observed his son. Harry had changed a lot from the boy who had willingly offered him his memories. The black-haired young vampire now radiated confidence, strength and, most importantly, power. Yet Harry was not the slightest bit arrogant and never flaunted his abilities. The teenager had quickly grasped the basic concepts of politics and it would not be long before he was ready for the council meetings and the internecine power struggles within the coven. In fact, Harry had started to behave much like Viktor himself. Yes, Viktor was very proud at that moment.

"I see that you are ready for you presentation to the coven, my son", Viktor observed, taking in his son's choice of clothes and hairstyle. He inwardly smiled – Harry reminded Viktor so much of himself at his age, it simply amazed the vampire Elder.

"Quite. I especially like the sword. Thank you, father", Harry confirmed his father's words and smiled when his comment about the sword brought the fatherly side of Viktor out even more. Suddenly his father grinned, shocking the black-haired teenager – the older vampire had never done that before.

"The ladies will simply love you", Viktor commented, chuckling when his son scowled at him for the remark, "Especially Miss Jones". The vampire Elder was amused when the teen's eyes widened, his glower disappeared and a blush of embarrassment covered his cheeks.

"Father!", Harry indignantly exclaimed. His father's soft laugh only caused the red adorning his cheeks to darken.

Viktor was enjoying himself a lot. Tormenting his son like this and then watching the black-haired youth's reactions were simply priceless. However, when he remembered the second reason for his visit to his son's room, he became serious once again. Harry, noticing the change in his father's demeanor, immediately pulled himself together, though to Viktor's amusement, the blush on his face barely receded.

"Are you sure you want to go through with the name change?", Viktor questioned the younger vampire. He understood his son's reason behind this action, but he wanted to be sure that Harry really wanted to go through with it. The young vampire almost immediately paled at his father's question, though his eyes remained determined. The memory of his last day in the Wizarding World resurfaced once again, along with the information revealed on that fateful day.

_Flashback_

Harry could only stare in disbelief and horror at the head goblin as the young boy resurfaced from the pensive, having just watched the memories his mother had left for him. The black-haired boy could not believe what his mother had revealed. He couldn't, not after hearing so many things at Hogwarts. However, he knew that Lily Evans had not lied about the information she had passed on to Harry via her memories. She had taken an Unbreakable Oath – much like an Unbreakable Vow – that she would tell the truth and only the truth to Harry. In shock, the 12-year-old collapsed on the armchair behind him, emerald green eyes staring into space. The truth, as they said, really was not nice.

Lily Evans had been forced into a marriage with James Potter by the doings of Albus Dumbledore. It was also James Potter who had been the bully at Hogwarts, not Severus Snape as Harry had thought. James Potter had enjoyed the pain of the others. James Potter had never really loved his mother. Harry should have been the son of Lily Evans and Sirius Black, the man whom his mother had really loved. Yet the machinations of the Hogwarts Headmaster had hindered their love and, as a result, a happy childhood for Harry.

Disgust started to build within Harry for the man who had sired him and hate for the man who had ruined his life before it had even started. He would be damned, if he ever looked up to Albus Dumbledore once again.

After transferring all of the money from his Trust Vault and the Potter Vault to a muggle bank account the head goblin had just opened for him, Harry looked at the magical creature with emerald green eyes full of repressed anger, his magic swirling wildly around him in sync with his emotions.

"I need two spells to be removed from my person, as well as a ritual reversed…"

_End of Flashback_

"I am sure, yes", the vampire heir answered. He would have nothing whatsoever to do with his bastard of a biological father. Viktor smiled.

"Then let us proceed to the presentation", the vampire Elder regally declared before sweeping out of his son's room. Harry smirked before following the vampire Elder, his coat billowing behind him just like his father's. The coven was in for the shock of their immortal lives.

_**HPxUnderworld**************************************** **_

Well, I hope you enjoyed chapter 4! I also think that this was the last of the flashbacks, though I cannot be 100% sure.^_^

Viktor: This is your own story, isn't it?

Lady A: *confused* It is, yes.

Viktor: Then shouldn't you also, as the author, already know exactly what is going to happen?

Lady A: *blushes slightly* No, I don't know what exactly is going to happen. See, a plan that has no room for changes is doomed to fail. Same with plans for stories – if the plot isn't flexible and able to accommodate unexpected changes, then the story will never be completed. Besides, I doubt that you, as the ruler, can foresee what is going to happen in your coven.

Viktor: *nods in agreement* Very good argument, Lady A. I see that my lessons about politics have not gone to waste *turns and leaves room*

Lady A: *blinks* Did he just give a compliment? *shrugs* Please, remember: write long and nice reviews!^_^


	5. Chapter 5: Presentation and Council

Hi people!^_^

Well, here is chapter 5! Enjoy reading it!^_^

Viktor, the disclaimer please!^_^

Viktor: Lady Avotil does not own the Underworld or Harry Potter series, only the plot of this story and any OC characters.

Lady A: Thank you, Viktor! *smiles* You will see that Harry is now well-versed in the dance of politics.

Viktor: *glares slightly* For your sake, I most sincerely hope so.

Lady A: *whispers worriedly* Yeah, me too *turns to readers* Enjoy reading chapter 5!^_^

_**HPxUnderworld********************************************_

_**Chapter 5: Presentation and Council**_

Harry casually leaned on the wall to his left and watched as his father walked down the stairs. He had managed to convince Viktor to leave him there, just before the landing began. This way he was out of sight of the vampires assembled in the entrance hall. Not that it mattered all that much – their attention would be on his father anyway. After all, no one dared show disrespect to the vampire Elder.

As Viktor stopped in front of the manor's front doors, turned around to look at the vampires gathered in the luxurious foyer and prepared to begin his speech, Harry allowed himself to stare in wonder at his ancestor. The way the older vampire carried himself and effortlessly commanded the attention of almost 100 vampires was awe-inspiring. Harry resolved to try his best in achieving that same effect. He had sworn to himself he would not let his father down.

The young heir winced as he remembered a particular training session with his father, where he had slipped up badly enough to anger the vampire Elder.

_Flashback_

Harry had to blink back the tears that threatened to fall and ignored the stinging sensation on his right cheek. Viktor had just slapped him for his greatest mistake in their training sessions yet – not only had he allowed himself to be disarmed, but also to be cornered and exposed. What was once his black T-shirt now looked like an open vest, a long but shallow gash across his chest, starting from his right shoulder and almost reaching his left hip, leaving no doubt as to the reason for the torn state of the garment. The black-haired teenager fell to his knees, cowering slightly before the other vampire. However, he refused to look away from the eyes the same colour as his.

"You made a most _foolish_ mistake!", the vampire Elder shouted, emphasizing the "foolish" part of his exclamation, his eyes glowing a brighter blue than before. "Had you been placed in such a situation by an enemy vampire or, Elders forbid, a lycan, then you would have been killed without a second thought!", the furious Elder continued.

Harry had never seen his father in such a state of anger before. The young vampire slightly lowered his head in shame, though his face retained its impassive look. He would not show weakness in front of an opponent, even if it was his father. That was one of the rules Viktor had again and again told him to never break when he was dealing with a situation like this. Even so, that did not help keep the feeling of shame away from the teenager's heart. He had let down his father. Weighed down by his emotions, Harry could not get up and go after his father as the older vampire stalked out of the dojo.

Later that evening, after taking a warm, relaxing shower and getting out of the bathroom, Harry stood in front of the full-length mirror on his wardrobe doors, inspecting the light pink scar on his chest. He knew that by the time he woke up tomorrow night there would be no trace left of the injury. Well, he knew that now, at least. The first time he had gotten cut by his father's sword he had thought that there would be a permanent mark on his left upper arm. To his surprise, though, when he had woken up the next evening, there hadn't been even a trace of it.

Sighing, the young vampire took a step towards his bed, intent on donning his pajama bottoms and going to sleep, when suddenly there was a knock on his door. Raising his eyebrows in surprise, the black-haired teen looked at his window. The dark colours of the night were giving way to the bright ones of the day. Most vampires were asleep by now. _Who could be looking for me so early in the morning?, _he wondered, going over to the door. It had taken him less time than he had thought to get used to the vampire's sleeping regime, although he did find himself occasionally waking up in the middle of the afternoon and falling asleep in the late morning hours. Plastering a tired expression on his face, Harry opened the door…and promptly dropped his most recent mask. Standing on the other side was Viktor.

Once the vampire Elder was inside, the black-haired teen closed the door, his eyes slightly narrowed in suspicion. He could not think of any reason why his father would visit him at such a time. His father was staring at him, or rather at his chest, from across the room, making Harry realize that he only had a towel wrapped around his waist. Still, not letting on the embarrassment he felt at the thought of his father seeing him half-naked, the black-haired teenager raised an eyebrow in question. Viktor's eyes looked back at his son's face.

"I…apologize for my earlier action", Viktor said, reluctance or maybe discomfort clearly apparent in his voice. The second eyebrow joined the first one in surprise. _Viktor doesn't seem like the kind of person to apologize_, Harry mused. Shrugging mentally, he smiled slightly at his father.

"Apology accepted, though you didn't need to do it in the first place. I will not let you down again, father", the teenage vampire replied. A small smile graced the vampire Elder's face.

"Now, go to bed. You will need your strength, for tomorrow your training intensifies", Viktor declared before going out of his son's room.

A determined look appeared in Harry's eyes. In the hallway, the vampire Elder looked at his son's bedroom door. _One day when you're big and strong, you will be a king. I will make sure of that_, he thought. With that he turned around and went into his own room.

_End of Flashback_

Harry shook of the memory and returned his attention to his father, who appeared to be coming to the end of his speech. An amused gleam entered his eyes when he saw the imperceptible nod of the vampire Elder. It was show time.

Amy was very shocked by Lord Viktor's words. He had a new heir? There was a future Elder? It was something that none of the vampire in the coven had thought would happen, especially after Selene's betrayal. Amy still could not understand how Selene of all people – the most avid lycan-hater in the coven – had fallen for a lycan. The brown-haired girl knew that Lord Viktor had had a daughter a few centuries ago and after she had died, Selene had taken her place. She may have not been his flesh and blood, but he had nonetheless treated her as if she really was.

Now there was a new heir to the throne, a new prince. This new heir was also of Lord Viktor's bloodline, which shocked the vampires in the entrance hall even more. It was no secret that the vampire Elder had not chosen a new vampire mate after the death of his wife, Lady Ilona. Amy tried to figure out who could be this mysterious new heir. Yet except for Harry, there hadn't been any other new additions to the coven. Unless…

"Now, I present to you my heir and my son, Hadrian!", Viktor announced, waving his left arm towards the staircase. Amy felt her mouth drop open in surprise at seeing the person who was imperiously descending the stairs. It was Harry.

The other vampires were absolutely astounded. First the news that there was a new heir shocked them and now the appearance of the new heir, this Hadrian, bewildered them. He looked like a younger version of Lord Viktor. Not a single vampire in the entrance hall doubted that he was of their Lord's bloodline, even more so when they saw the neon blue eyes and felt the familiar aura of power that the black-haired vampire exuded. It was only slightly less potent than the one of their Lord, though they were sure that it would grow to match his in time.

There was only one group of 12 vampires who were not as impressed by the new heir as the rest of the coven. They hid their thoughts behind carefully crafted masks of shock and awe. These were the 12 vampires who held the 12 seats of the Vampire Council. Whilst they were most of the time in conflict with each other, they all had currently one and the same thought in mind: _We will see, if he is worthy of being the heir_.

Meanwhile, Harry had reached his father and was standing beside him. They both held the same posture and both had the same masks of indifference on their faces, though if one were to look closely enough, one pair of eyes held a trace of worry in them and the other one – excitement. Clearing his throat a bit, the vampire Elder subdued the excited murmurs of the vampires in the foyer. Inclining his head in gratitude towards his father, Harry took a step forward. He knew that this was a decisive moment.

"Good evening, my name is Hadrian. I know that some of you have inevitably already formed doubts about my ability to be an Elder of this coven some night. However, until that time comes, all I ask of you is to let me show you that I am more than capable of succeeding Lord Viktor. I will lead this coven into a great future! I will lead this coven to victory! And above all – I will ensure the security and stability of the coven and, in that way, the survival and continuation of the bloodlines! Any who stand in my way of accomplishing these goals shall be dealt with _most_ severely", the young vampire stated, his neon blue eyes looking each and every single vampire in the foyer in the eyes and his resolve to achieve his goals making them glow an even brighter shade of blue.

Amy was impressed by the black-haired teen's speech and silently vowed to stand by her friend's side no matter what. She would make sure that he would one night ascend to the throne…and reprimand him for not telling her about his status as heir to Lord Viktor. As Amy watched the vampires of the coven going one by one towards Harry to greet him, the teenage girl thought about how exactly she would express her displeasure of him keeping as great a secret as this from her.

Harry's indifferent face did not seem to deter the vampires from going to him and paying their respects, as it were. He was unpleasantly reminded of Lockhart's constant autograph sessions. However, his eyes lit up when his best and only friend in the coven, Amy, came towards him. She was accompanied by a man with short, dark brown, almost black hair and dark blue eyes. His face was oval. Overall, with the elegant clothes taken into account, he looked like an aristocrat. _Probably Amy's father_, Harry thought as he greeted Amy and the unknown man.

"Lord Hadrian, this is my father, Mark Jones", she introduced, watching her friend and her father shaking hands.

"I have heard many things about you, Councilman Jones", Harry politely told him.

It was true that he had heard many things about Amy's father, but not from Amy herself. He would have to be careful with this man when he was at a Council meeting. The sad look in his eyes when Amy went away with her father was not missed by Viktor and the vampire Elder silently prayed that this was a good sign. He wanted his son to be happy and Mark Jones' daughter seemed to be able to bring a smile onto Harry's face. Laying a hand on his son's shoulder, Viktor gave the teenage vampire the second signal for the night – it was time for his first Council meeting.

As Harry entered the Council chamber, which was just after the throne room, and took his seat at the right of his father, he mentally prepared himself for a battle of wits. After all, he was pretty sure that the Councilmen and Councilwomen would try to humiliate him. They probably wanted a shot at being an Elder themselves. Well, if they were anything like the politicians in the Wizarding World, then he would have to make sure that he stopped them before they achieved something like that. He would just hate to see another incompetent leader like Cornelius Fudge.

"Let the Council meeting begin", Viktor said. Almost instantly Mark Jones stepped forward, clasping his hands together. He reminded Harry a bit of Lucius Malfoy with his behaviour. If his attitude was like Malfoy Sr's as well, then this man would most probably cause trouble.

Viktor wanted to sigh but refrained from it. It would not do for an Elder to sigh. Mark Jones had been turned into a vampire by Markus Corvinus in the last decades of the 18th century and, as such, Jones had made it his immortal life's goal to be a constant thorn in Viktor's side. The vampire Elder wondered, if there would always be yet another Coloman to bother him.

"The werewolves are becoming an increasingly greater problem. Kraven's deceit and incompetence allowed Lucian to amass a great horde of those beasts and now there are more of them than there have been in the past century", Jones informed all of the Council members and Viktor had a difficult time deciding whether he wanted to roll his eyes or strangle the vampire noble.

"I am well aware, Jones", the vampire Elder spat out, "that the nearsightedness of the Council has led to this problem. We will simply deal with the wolves as we always have", he finished, a small smirk on his face. Another Councilmember stood up and joined Jones at the center of the chamber.

"Unfortunately, the betrayal of Selene has had a disastrous effect on the Death Dealers and their small number is most definitely not sufficient to terminate all of the lycans prowling out there. Time would expand their ranks, certainly, but we cannot afford that right now", she declared, lifting her head high and her dark brown eyes challenging the vampire Elder to reply. She too was one of Markus' creatures.

"What do you propose we do then, Katrina?", Viktor retorted, raising an eyebrow to indicate that any suggestions she made would be discarded without a single thought.

"We go back to dealing with the lycans the way we did before they took over Castle Corvinus – we enslave them once more", came the answer to his question. Viktor was just about ready to leap out of his seat at her statement.

"Enslave them again? Have you lost your mind? They are born of beasts and the savagery of this fact cannot be ignored! Even giving them the minimum amount of food would take a toll on the coven's funds, not to mention that, above all, the security of the coven would suffer from an act like this", the enraged Elder nearly shouted, reminded of a similar Council meeting argument several centuries ago. Katrina did not back away.

"I believe you fear is misplaced. Modern technology would allow us to control them better and avoid the mistakes of the past", Katrina responded, backed up by murmurs of agreement from some of the still seated Council members.

Just as Viktor was about to continue, Harry stood up from his seat and started slowly walking around the circular chamber, passing in front of each Council member and looking at them almost patronizingly. He had been listening carefully to the debate and had remembered not only what he had read about that period of time, when the lycans were under the yoke of the vampires, in the coven's History books, but also about werewolves from the books at the library of Hogwarts. He was confident he could create a good argument. Besides, this Katrina had just insulted his father, insinuating that he was scared. He could not and would not stand by and do nothing.

"My fellow Council members, milord", the young vampire started, inclining his head towards Viktor, "The problem with werewolves is that they will not behave, modern restricting technology or not. They might behave well enough under scrutiny, in other words, when threatened within the mansion where they could be monitored. However, once they are out and about it is impossible to control them. They are not governable when they are in their transformed, werewolf state. As such, enslaving them and keeping them so close to us would be a most _foolish_ mistake", he finished.

Turning around and walking back towards his seat, Harry managed to catch a glimpse of Viktor and the pride that shone within his father's eyes made the black-haired teenager happy. Another Council member stood up. He, unlike the others, looked old and his graying hair and beard attested to his age. He was maybe in his late 60s or early 70s, Harry concluded.

"Lord Hadrian is right. Getting the lycans under our control would be more of a liability than an asset. Also, the possibility of there being a large number of casualties as a result of attempting to capture the lycans is too great. It would be far easier to just kill them on sight", the old man added.

"Thank you, Tomas. Council, do you agree with Lord Hadrian's argument?", Viktor inquired, clearly marking the debate as finished. As the Council voted, Viktor could not help but be very proud of his son – he had come a long way from the boy he was 2 months ago. When the final member had voted, Viktor was tempted to smile.

"The result of the vote is as follows: 10 Ayes and 2 Nays. Your proposal is not approved, Jones, Katrina. Are there any other matters to be discussed?", Viktor declared and receiving no reply to his question, proceeded: "Then this Council meeting is adjourned. Hadrian, stay behind", Viktor finished.

Once the last of the vampires had left the chamber, the vampire Elder turned towards his son, who was looking at him with a slightly confused expression. Viktor chuckled at this before putting his right hand on his sons left shoulder.

"You did very well on your first Council meeting, my son, and you have made me very proud", the older vampire informed Harry and received a beaming smile from the black-haired teenager.

"Thank you, father. I will try to continue doing my best", he replied, neon blue eyes filled with genuine happiness.

_All in all, today wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The best part is that my bad luck didn't pop up_, Harry happily thought as he walked down the hallway to his room. He was, however, woefully ignorant of the danger that lurked in front of his room, the most terrifying thing any man could face – an angered woman.

_**HPxUnderworld********************************************_

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading chapter 5, I am really, really sorry about the Flashback, it just seemed the easiest way for me to show that Viktor hasn't turned into a complete softie and that he is the same as ever. He just cares for someone now, nothing else.^_^

Also, a virtual chocolate-chip cookie to anyone who figures out the full and partial movie references/citations I used in this chapter. The ones from the Underworld series, obviously, do not count.^_^

For those of you who are interested, I got Harry's words about werewolves from an interview with Bill Nighy, the actor who portrayed Viktor in the Underworld series. You can see the interview on YouTube under the name "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans – Bill Nighy Interview". ^_^

Lady A: See! I told you he knew how to deal with the situation.

Viktor: *nods* So you did *leaves room*

Lady A: You know, I don't think he would really hurt me. He wouldn't get any air time, so to say, otherwise.

Viktor: *come back into room* Care to repeat that, my dear?

Lady A: *laughs nervously* Um…well…I said that…you were a great character and deserved more air time in this story!

Viktor: Why, thank you, Lady A *leaves*

Lady A: *sighs in relief* That was too close…*turns to readers* Remember: leave nice and long reviews! ^_^


End file.
